DaKa

Thanks for the private messages. You must appreciate that I am ignorant of AC pipework and terminology. I can confirm that the rear pipes have not been removed, but I don't know where I could see 'six pipes because you once had two T-pieces'. It's good to know that the blanking should been done on the rear pipes after the T pieces. But again, I don't know where the T pieces are and does that mean towards the front or back? If Lexus say blanking is a common job when the rear pipes leak it would be good to have a write up or diagram that shows the pipes before and after as I have tried above. Any takers?

Not hearing more, I checked some stuff out on Youtube and it appears that my pipes should have simply been blanked off separately and not connected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz2obM-laOA I know the car in this example isn't the same, but the problem on this youtube is and I can only imagine the plumbing is the same.. so I'm back to get the gas removed, connection blanked off and regassed - let's hope I'm right this time and don'e have to reverse things back.

As per diagram and heading - rear AC pipes disconnected.

Replies appreciated - albeit contrasting. I have the distinct feeling that the pipes should have been simply blanked off rather than connected. If Stuart's AC is working on the front (and I presume that it is) then my mechanic connecting the 10mm to the 8mm pipes under the passenger seat to create a U-Bend flow would appear wrong! Expert comment sought before I take it back. Thxs

Picking up on the wording here - perhaps my mechanic mate has made a gaff? The AC pipes that run from front to rear, I presume one delivering (10 mm) insulated pipe and the other returning to the front AC (8 mm) not insulated, instead of being capped of they were joined as per diagram. I thought that a loop was required - am I wrong?

Indeed it was the F1 guy that fiddled with the controls and switched the oscilating fans off - Doh! I do however have a lack the kind of cold air I would expect through the vents, it's more of an autumn draft, but definitely colder than the ambient temperature - so something must be working. It's as if there is still a lack of refrigerant - they only inserted enough per the pront AC spec 650, should they have put 900+? Does anyone have a novice guide of things and were/how to check, or will I need to seek out an AC specialist and cough up some more cash? Thxs

Aaahh, the guy at F1 did mention that he took 10 mins fiddling with th climate control settings. I will check this a sap. Thxs

Like the sound of that - I will look closer later this week at how the grille on the rear shelf removes. Didn't have my glasses last time. Tried left to right, front to back movements but didn't work - does it just pop straight up perhaps?

Thanks for the information that I'm not alone in re-routing the AC flow and disabling the rear. This lets me know that there are no sensors or things that would cause the AC not to blow cold. I guess it could be a fuse - could this have been done during the regassing. Should I take it back to them? They mentioned it was hard to reach (heat from the engine) the low pressure pipe under the bonnet and waited 20 minutes before doing a pressure check - could something have been inadvertently pulled out and disconnected? The mechanic who spliced the pipes for me was underneath the car nowehere near the engine bay and with the ignition off, so I don't see how he could have affected anything. As mentioned, prior to today, even with no gas in the AC, if you set the AC to max cold and Auto the airflow outlets to the driver/passenger in the centre swivelled from side to side. This is now not happening. Do you know if there is a fuse specific for this? It certainly sounds like the compressor starts (notable change of tone from the engine when Auto AC engaged) - I'm rather ignorant of AC so need an idiots guide otherwise I'll have go back to my mechanic - awkward!

I had the misfortune of some damage to my LS430 AC pipe just above the near side drive shaft/differential. This was caused by a stupid local non Lexus mechanic that didn't put the drive shaft nuts/washers back in with enough torque or 20p worth of lock-tite metal glue when the rear bearing hub assembly was replaced. The washer threw out when the nuts came llose and damaged the AC pipe badly - what a costly mistake and as it happended 9-12 months after the job was done I had no easy recourse to the garage. It is a pig to replace, so my friend mechanic using a splice/lok kit that I purchased dispensed with the rear AC (as access to pipes was impossible) and instead completed the AC loop by joining the AC pipes somewhere underneath the car between the near side front and back passenger seats. Great I thought - who neads rear AC. However, it went straight to Formula One for a regas and they confirmed no leaks present and filled up the front AC as per specification 650 ml? Sadly, no cold air, but not leaks either - so what's going on? Normally, the air vents when on max cold previously moved from side to side as standard, but now they don't move at all making me think it could be something electrical. I didn't check the AC after the pipes were spliced, so now don't know if the probelm was caused by the disabling of the rear AC or, something during the gas recharge. Any ideas of what to try?

It does seem pointless buying a new foam rubber suround and glue when it just needs sticking back down denerally to the metal frame. When you say you did it in situ, do you mean without moving the rear seats and taking the speaker out? or did you simply cut through the outer shelf casing?